Adriana Hölszky, born in 1953 as a Romanian German in Bucharest, studied composition at the Music Academy there with Stefan Niculescu. She moved to Stuttgart in 1976 where, alongside her concert activities as the pianist of the Lipatti Trio, she studied composition with Milko Kelmen. In 1989 her opera Bremer Freiheit was given its world premiere at the Munich Biennale for contemporary music theater. This was the road to success for Adriana Hölszky. After having served as a professor of composition at the Music Academy in Rostock, Adriana Hölszky taught composition in Salzburg until November 2013. Hölszky's works for choir often create a menacing atmosphere, focusing on the abysses of human existence -- demanding the highest level of accuracy in artistic interpretation.